Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Austin Ruse chimes in on Catholic sexuality "study"

Maybe it's just me but I think that transgender kids also mature to be “normal adults.” I look at it as a natural variant in human sexuality. Ruse sees it as something that is contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church — and that is all he needs to know.

Scientific research shows that most of the supposedly transgender children and teenagers who ask to change sexes instead just change their minds and grow up as normal adults, according to a new report.

The report warns parents and officials not to impose life-changing surgery or aggressive hormone treatments on kids, saying “there is no evidence that all children who express gender-atypical thoughts or behavior should be encouraged to become transgender.”

The “research” that Ruse is referring to is that paper on a Catholic blog by conservative Catholic investigators that was not subjected to peer review that conforms to the teachings of the Church. It seems that every conservative site in the world is recycling this crap uncritically. It says what they want to hear and that is good enough for them.

Ruse's first paragraph might be correct in part. A majority of gender non-confirming children probably do grow out of it. Most of those kids are also not asking to change sexes and they are not “changing their minds” which suggests a conscious decision. They are experiencing adolescent fluidity in gender identity.

The second paragraph is a microwaved dog rocket. Clinicians are extraordinarily careful in the use of puberty blockers and hormones. It requires the informed consent of physicians, therapists, the kid and his or her parents. Children are not candidates for sex re-assignment surgery. They become eligible at 18 but the surgery is rare before their mid 20s. That means that the warning is posited for the purpose of advancing an argument rather than cautioning parents.

I wish that everyone would watch the Frontline/PBS documentary Growing Up Trans. It is free of an agenda and very informative.

Austin Ruse runs C-Fam, an organization classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.